The Birds Are Singing
by Meghan Page
Summary: "'Can't carry a tune,' my foot!" What if Peggy was lying about not being able to sing that time at the automat?


**A/N:** Some of you might not believe this, but this story was an assignment for my fiction writing class. The professor's exact words were to "write fanfic." I was more than happy to oblige.

* * *

Angie stumbled through the front door, kicking her shoes off before it even had a chance to swing shut behind her. The automat had been swamped with customers during her shift, and she had had to walk almost 10 blocks from the subway station to get to her audition.

"Peggy?" she called, catching one foot in her hand and massaging the arch.

A faint answer came from the rear of the house, leading Angie to the large sitting room, where her roommate was tucked into the couch, a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.

"Hello, darling, how did the audition go?" Peggy asked, setting both down and moving her feet to make room on the cushions.

In answer, Angie let out a loud groan and slumped down onto the couch.

Peggy clucked in sympathy. "That badly?"

"This time I know it wasn't me!" Angie exclaimed. "I swear, they must've stuck me with the worst accompanist in the business. I don't know where they find these fat-fingered galooks, honestly!" She flopped her head back dramatically to rest on the back of the couch, letting out a long-suffering sigh. "At this point I'm considering hiring my own just to make sure he keeps proper time."

Peggy chuckled softly to herself; she enjoyed watching the way Angie's hands flew when she was worked up.

"Well…" she began.

Angie's head snapped up to look at her. "Well what?"

"Well… I suppose… I mean, I do know how to play the piano. I could, perhaps, help you rehearse?"

Angie stared at her, her mouth agape. "Are you joshin' me, English?"

Peggy pouted playfully, tilting her chin up in mock affront. "I assure you, I would never 'josh' about the arts."

Angie giggled, leaning her shoulder into Peggy's. "Well if that's so, how come I've never heard you play? We've got a beautiful baby grand right here, courtesy of Mr. Stark." She gestured to the far corner, where the mahogany instrument gleamed in the low light.

"Well, I usually don't much like to play in front of other people. My grandmother had me go to lessons when I was young, and I remember one disastrous recital where I fell right off my stool." Angie fell to giggling again, and Peggy nudged her where their shoulders rested together. "Shush, we can't all have the composure you do on stage. In any case, I've refused to play in front of anyone since."

Angie drew one leg up onto the couch, turning to face Peggy more fully. "Are you sure you're okay to play with me, then? I wouldn't wanna make you uncomfortable."

"Of course, Angie darling. I know out of everyone you would never make me uncomfortable," she smiled, taking Angie's hand in her own. A faint blush spread across Angie's cheeks. "Besides, I want to help you. You deserve to be up on stage."

"Gosh Pegs, you're sure in a generous mood tonight," Angie teased, pushing lightly at Peggy's thigh then getting up and moving around the back of the couch. "D'ya mind if we get started tonight? I've got another audition in a coupla days I've been neglecting for this one."

Peggy let her head fall back to look at Angie behind her. "Of course. I'll just get warmed up then, yes?"

"Sure thing Pegs. I'll go grab the sheet music."

As Angie left the room, Peggy got up and crossed to the piano, running her sweaty palms down her skirt as she sat. Despite her enjoyment of the instrument, she really hadn't played in front of someone for a very long time. But when Peggy Carter said she would do something, she carried through, nerves or not.

She placed her fingers lightly on the keys and began to run through some scales, enjoying the sensation of drawing music from the strings. Like everything in the house, Howard had someone come in every so often to keep it up, and it was tuned beautifully.

Peggy had moved on from scales into a light, tinkling melody when she heard a voice from the doorway, making her fingers stumble and produce a discordant note.

"Wow, you've really got a way with the ivories," Angie said appreciatively, leaning against the doorway as she admired the way Peggy's hand moved lithely over the keyboard.

Peggy spun around on her bench, a hand pressed to her heart. "Oh, Angie, you startled me."

Angie pushed off the doorframe, crossing to Peggy and holding out the sheaf of music for her. "Sorry, English. Shouldn't it be harder to sneak up on an ace spy like yourself?" she asked cheekily.

"I was distracted," Peggy grumbled, spreading the music out on the piano's stand. Her mouth went dry when she saw the name of the piece: "For Me and My Gal."

"You ever heard this one?" Angie asked from behind her, twisting her fingers together.

Peggy cleared her throat, smoothing the pages unnecessarily. "I believe so."

"It's meant to be a duet, but I'll just sing my part," she explained, and Peggy nodded.

They both fidgeted awkwardly, until Angie came around beside the piano, leaning one elbow on its top. Peggy followed her lead, placing her hands back on the keys. "Whenever you're ready."

Angie took a deep breath, the nodded at Peggy to begin. Peggy nodded back and began to move her fingers, tapping out the beginning of the jaunty tune.

" _Ding dong, ding dong, do you hear the bells go ding dong? Do you know…_ " Angie's voice rang out, and Peggy had to focus to keep her fingers from slipping. She had of course heard Angie sing before, but it had always been in accompaniment with the radio or behind shower walls, when she thought Peggy couldn't hear. Like this, clear and loud with nothing to make the sound, she was breathtaking.

" _The bells are ringing for me and my gal_ ," Angie continued, her eyes darting over towards Peggy, only to find her already watching her intently. As their eyes met, Angie felt a shock run down her spine, making her stumble over the next line. And if she had to guess by the flush that spread across Peggy's cheeks and down her neck, she'd say Peggy felt it too.

Angie quickly moved away from the piano to stand off to the side, keeping her eyes trained on the center of the room, and let her volume grow to closer to that she would use on stage.

Although she tried to keep her eyes on the keys, Peggy couldn't stop herself from glancing constantly at Angie as she sang, enraptured to see her in her element. She watched as Angie sank farther into her performance, swaying along to the music, and even beginning to sketch a few dance steps before she caught herself and stopped.

Peggy's fingers trailed off as Angie clasped her hands behind her and rocking on her toes, her ears pink. "Well, this part is where the dancing all happens, but I'd need a proper partner to do it right." Angie's eyes widened as she realized what she said, and her tongue stumbled over itself as she hastened to explain. "No, I didn't mean – it's just that –"

Peggy laughed softly. "Angie, it's all right. I wouldn't be of much use in this situation, seeing as I don't know the steps."

Angie smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, that's what I meant."

A moment passed where neither of then was quite sure where to look, then a smirk crossed Peggy's lips. When Angie lifted a brow in question, she asked, "'Do you know what I can't eat for breakfast?'"

Angie let out a happy gasp, clapping her hands together and saying, "You have seen it!" She cleared her throat, attempting to school her features, and recited, "'Why no, I haven't the slightest idea. Tell me, what can't you eat for breakfast?'"

They looked at each other, then exclaimed in unison, "'Luncheon and dinner!'" and fell into peals of laughter.

Angie put her hands on her hips, a scowl on her face but her eyes sparking with amusement. "English, you've been holding out on me! If I knew you'd get my Gene Kelly references, I'd've made 'em a lot earlier!"

"And then I'd never hear the end of them, would I?" Peggy laughed.

"Shut up, English. Just for that, I'm gonna make as many as I can." She stuck out her tongue at Peggy, who returned the expression by crossing her eyes, and they giggled together for another moment.

"Would'ya mind if we went over the song again?" Angie asked when the laughter had subsided. "I flubbed that line with the birds and I wanna try to get it all the way through."

"Of course." Peggy settled herself back in position, feet on the pedals and fingers ready to move. "On your cue."

This time, Peggy let herself relax into the song, her fingers remembering the notes she had just played as she lost herself in Angie's voice. As she continued on to the second verse, she found herself unconsciously humming harmony to Angie's melody.

Angie's heart jumped at the sound, but kept staring straight ahead, afraid that if she acknowledged she heard Peggy the woman would stop. For a second she thought Peggy had noticed her noticing anyway, but when she chanced a look over Peggy was just mouthing along to the words.

Angie couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face, and sang out with even more gusto.

And then, to her utter surprise, she heard Peggy's voice join her own.

Peggy's voice was deep and rich, and resonated just right with Angie's. She began singing low, her voice barely above a whisper, but quickly grew louder until she was belting along with Angie. " _They're congregating for me and my gal!_ "

It wasn't until Angie paused for the back-and-forth – singing " _a little home for two_ ," going silent while Peggy continued with " _or three,_ " and jumping back in for " _or four_ " – that Peggy even realized she had been singing. She stopped abruptly, coloring all the way down to her chest, and stared at Angie with her eyes and mouth wide open.

"What, no more?" Angie joked. "Where've you been hidin' that great set of pipes, huh, English? 'Can't carry a tune,' my foot!"

"It's – I'm – Angie, I'm sorry I –" Peggy stammered.

Angie came to sit next to her on the piano bench. "Hey, it's alright. I mean, would it've been nice to know you could really sing, so maybe we could've have some fun and done it together sometimes? Sure." At the look of remorse swimming in Peggy's eyes, she covered her hand with her own. "But I know you didn't mean nothin' by it. It was a silly white lie when we still barely knew each other."

Peggy exhaled, her fingernail ticking at the ivory keys. "I know. It's just… you know I'd never lie to you, right? I sometimes can't tell you the truth, but I do always try to be honest."

"I know, Peggy." Angie gave her hand a squeeze.

The two sat in silence, just breathing, until a mischievous glint came into Angie's eyes. "Well, there _is_ something you can do if you want to make it up to me…"

Peggy looked at her askance. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"I've got a whole stack of duets stashed in my closet." She nodded down the hallway. "What d'ya say we give some a go, now I know you've got a knockout voice to go with those legs?"

"I'd say I'd rather go back to lying about being able to sing," Peggy answered, folding her hands across her chest.

Angie pouted her lip, giving Peggy her best doe eyes. "But I thought you said you'd never lie to me?"

Peggy let out a long-suffering sigh. "All right, all right. Go get the damned duets."

Angie squealed, bouncing up from the bench immediately. She pecked a quick kiss on Peggy's cheek, leaving her stunned as she bounded from the room.


End file.
